As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
An information handling system may include a management controller for providing out-of-band management facilities for management of the information handling system. Such management may be made by the management controller even if the information handling system is powered off or powered to a standby state, as a management controller may include an out-of-band network interface separate from and physically isolated from an in-band network interface of the information handling system. Such management controllers may include or may be an integral part of a baseboard management controller (BMC), a remote access controller (e.g., a Dell Remote Access Controller of Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller), an enclosure controller, or a chassis management controller (CMC).
In next generation management controllers, a management controller may include two complete and independent processors, each processor with its own completely independent firmware. For example, one processor on a management controller may be an “enclosure controller” and another processor on the management controller may be a “management services module.” Accordingly, in an information handling system with two management controllers, each management controller with two independent processors executing independent firmware, a full firmware update of the management controllers may require updating firmware for at least four independent processors. Ideally, it is desirable that the firmware update process be as reliable as possible, avoiding any states in which the firmware running on a management controller is mismatched between the two processors of the management controller, as well as ensuring the firmware between redundant management controllers is in synchronization.